Less Driving In 2020, Yet US Traffic Fatalities Spiked

Pandemic lockdowns and stay-at-home orders kept many drivers off US roads and highways last year.

But those who did venture out found open lanes that only invited reckless driving, leading to a sharp increase in traffic-crash deaths across the country.

The non-profit National Safety Council estimates in a report issued on Thursday that 42,060 people died in vehicle crashes in 2020, an 8% increase over 2019 and the first jump in four years.

Plus, the fatality rate per 100m miles driven spiked 24%, the largest annual percentage increase since the council began collecting data in 1923.

And even though traffic is now getting close to pre-coronavirus levels, the bad behavior on the roads is continuing, authorities say.